Recap: Battling against the traveling vet that is JC, credit Young Pablo for holding his own, spitting a variety of smoking (“Nino Brown with the shotgun, I’ll walk you down the street right after I jack Carter”) bars while for the most part staying away from the easy JC dance jokes. But not taking any opponent lightly regardless of their status, JC literally scoffs at Pablo’s lines with 5 minutes of winning (“He said J, I ain’t no pushover or a walk through the park, I said cool because I don’t walk through no park I’ll walk through and park”) wordplay, clever rhyme flips and mischievous punchlines to easily take this one-rounder.
Verdict: JC (W) 1-0
Favorite line: JC – “Every time I draw a line it go over head, it’s a Homer here [hair]”
Recap: That ‘True religion’ bar by Mackk Myron here was extra fire. But after him and JC split (got the punch-heavier Mackk taking the 1st, while a grittier and more consistent JC took the 2nd) the first couple of rounds, in light of a spicy and personal-bent final round by Mackk, a couple of dope rebuttals by JC in an otherwise solid final turn gives Mr. Carter the win.
Recap: GO-Rilla Warfare/URLTV matchup between Pooh and JC sees the former put on a competitive showing with a host of fiery schemes, flashes of wit and hitting punchlines/personals. However, a little too much on pedestrian side in the early rounds from Pooh and a more consistent JC, scoring mightily throughout with fierce gun bars, stinging name flips and aggressive schemes/personals gets the Pontiac, MI kid another win.
Verdict: JC (W) 2-1
Favorite line: JC – “Bitch, I wave arms like decent neighbors!”
Recap: First of all, I really hate this host, he’s mad unprofessional and annoying as hell. And secondly, two rounds?!? That never makes any sense as no battle should ever end in an even amount of rounds. But whatever, still a good battle nonetheless tho it’s funny watching JC use a bar like “class in session, but since this little nigga still growing, I’m a add a lesson” to a dude that’s taller than him. Still, Red spazzed in the 1st round to clearly win that round, while JC edged the second with more consistent and harder bars. Too bad they didn’t have the common sense to make ’em do a 3rd round.
Verdict: (TIE)
Best line:(TIE) JC – “Hard shit, we blaze arms in your state armed, say my name I’ll pop up, state farm” and O-Red – “Jay-Z, J. Cole, them the J’s that’s relevant, you the ‘J’ I do not rock with, Carmelo kicks”
Synopsis: JC takes the first two rounds with better (“I wasn’t even gonna take you bro’, I don’t even joke, they said it’s 4:20 I got all the weed you can blow, I said ‘bet’ [and] I don’t even smoke!”) bars over Caustic’s jokes and delivery (tho like JC said that ‘Boston’ line in round 3 was crazy mean and nice) for the win.
Verdict: JC (W) 2-1
Favorite line: Caustic – “So what you gonna do?, hit me with the 9 next, 5 techs, talk about killing people for 5 years and ain’t nobody died yet”
Recap: Let’s start this one off by acknowledging a tremendous start what with a very solid 1st round by both JC and Yung Ill in this battle. However, while JC’s steady aggression and rich (“To know that they gonna keep losing, you ain’t gotta be half psychic, they like Shine and Guerilla Black writing, ‘cuz they talk B.I.G., but don’t rap like it!”) set-ups were nice, his want for taking on the whole St. Louis battle scene was light when compared to Ill’s more direct style points, dope basketball references and exquisite (“See, that’s what striking a nerve, ‘cuz y’all got they new nigga’s believing they us, not Autumn [all them], but Summer Fall [some will] for thinking they with us, they not seasoned enough”) wordplay. 2nd round was a dead giveaway by Ill, short with average lines that weren’t even trying to impress and JC stepped it to take full advantage with delicious punchlines and a couple of roundhouse (“Miss me with that bullshit about solidifying the spot, ‘cuz this year I’m just making sure that all you crybaby nigga’s start…dropping a tear [tier]”!) haymakers to easily even things up going into the final round. Last round is too close to call with Ill landing with overzealous jokes, gritty punchlines and hilarious (“You pop-locked, dropped and gyrated for a grown man and I ain’t gonna hype it, but it made it worse when you smiled and said…’I hope you like it!”) performance bars/dance moves to mock JC’s infamous Chris Stokes video. But with JC earnestly displaying that he came to win, it’s the kid from Michigan’s more steady wordplay and ferocious (“Nigga you are faker than every Contra gun…lame ass, and your girl go shopping, she bring both y’all shit back in the same bag!”) personals that earns the young’un a debatable against a wiry vet.
Verdict: TIE
Favorite line: JC – “That’s why these fuck nigga’s frontin’, you Will Smith, Ali, just active [action], but throwing another nigga’s punches!”
Recap: Punchlines, mayhem, fiery schemes/name flips and personals galore make JC versus AQ (aka Amazin Quality) an entertaining 3-round battle. But a more intricate, less predictable, potent and wordplay/gun bar-heavy JC does more than enough in the first two rounds to take each one in the end.
Verdict: JC (W) 2-1
Favorite line: JC – “Now go ahead and start some shit, you gonna see me spark some shit and that Tommy gonna get his crib cleared out like it got Martin pissed!”
Recap: An undeniable classic, JC versus Chilla Jones served as the pinnacle of new, hungry and younger talent with a knack for substance, versatility and flexing wordplay with their bars. Starting with a superb 1st round, both battlers would display tremendous moxie with their lines with an uber-confident JC dropping a series of stinging (“I’ma tell this fag actor once: get out of line, pass or bump, I’ma react with the fastest punch, they ain’t gon’ have no choice but to turn this bitch from Smack to Snuff!”) punchlines when he wasn’t dishing some hard-hitting name flipping and prodigious mayhem. However, having already shown himself to be one of the better schemers in the game, Chilla wouldn’t disappoint, the Boston spitter spouting a gang of spitfire schemes, ripping personals and roundhouse (“You rep Pontiac on that G shit, but you don’t own a gun, liar, so I’ma give this G six for y’all thinkin’ that son fire!”) punches to edge round 1 before JC would take advantage of a couple of dry spots from his opponent and come through with a (“It’s an honor for you to meet me, I’m the next problem, run in your crib, pop your mom: I’m your step father!”) punch-heavy and while making fun of Chilla’s rap style, a mockingly sanguine turn to edge the 2nd round. Tied going into the 3rd round of a battle that already had the crowd buzzing throughout, both battlers would step it up during their final turns with a boatload of piercing darts, sizzling wordplay, more heavy-handed schemes from Chilla and stunted gun bars from JC. Yet,with an astute and (“What, you gon’ flip and spazz out? Bitch, don’t try us, there’s four niggas in each car with about six mo’ riders, we heavy armed, like Precious, extend mo’ fire!”) haymaker-drenched 3rd that was flawless in its execution (i.e., a classic), despite another pretty solid turn by (“See, this a loss you shoulda planned for, but we all know you’re good with defeat [da feet], we all seen you on the dance floor!”) Jones, it’s JC who earns the win here.
Verdict: JC (W) 2-1
Favorite line: JC – “I’m tryna get his whole strip wet, he was cruising till his ship wrecked, hit me, you gon’ get hit next, stomp him but leave him choices, Timberland or Nike? Face the tree or get chin checked?!”
Synopsis: Even a tired JC can drop enough dope bars and punchlines to beat a way-too-cocky rapper who continually goes past the time limits, uses a horrible “state” scheme.and disrespects his opponent’s skills throughout the battle. Just not hospitable.
Verdict: JC (W) 2-1
Favorite line: JC – “You need a judge, I’ll be him, somebody get this man, he don’t know what reppin’ [weapon] his state ment is till he hit the witness stand, but you will be put to the test if I see the defenses jam, there’s no witness, so you get sentenced soon as you bang that hammer, you finish yo last sentence…”
Recap: Highly entertaining battle between a forever spazzing T Dubb and an always ready for action JC goes down to the wire with Dubb edging it out. Call the end of Dubb second round a choke if you want, but JC landed enough hard bars to win that round anyway. It’s the 1st and 3rd rounds where Dubb really went in and won the battle, scoring with heavy angles on JC’s authenticity, the infamous Chris Stokes video (“Real niggas supposed to sit and believe you grip toast, when that dance you did look like you was practicing deep throat”), storytelling points and gritty (“I’ll spray and waste J [Jay] dna like a Beyonce abortion”) bars. While JC dropped some heavy (“Them arms out, but those clips extended like an olive branch”) punches, a short 1st round, some filler throughout and just not enough execution eventually did him in.
Verdict: T Dubb (W) 2-1
Favorite line: T Dubb – “Ain’t no dancers trappin, you’ll get robbed, this ain’t You Got Served nigga!”
Recap: Despite some oft-hilarious personals that included JC allegedly stealing Smack’s money in club as well Young Kannon spouting entertaining schemes/storytelling bars on his opponent’s infamous Chris Stokes video, it’s YK’s elongated rounds and hit-n-miss wordplay/punches that end up hurting in the long run, leaving a more consistent JC, who dished his own fire set of personals, Mexican jokes and fiery gun bars/punchlines throughout the battle, with a a clear round 1 vic, before edging the 3rd for the win.
Verdict: JC (W) 2-1
Favorite line: JC – “I extort ho’s, twist the silencer on the floor slow, and muzzle the piece, make it sound like the torch flowing in Morse code!
Recap: In a one-round battle of Battle Rappers With Acronyms For Their Names, one has to think that if G.A. had stuck with challenging JC’s authenticity, as he did in the first half of his round, he might’ve had a chance. But for some reason he switched up the personal jokes and punchlines for generic bars and a whole lotta filler that ended up making this match a blowout when faced against JC’s rigid punchlines and charming haymakers.
Verdict: JC (W) 1-0
Favorite line: JC – “I’m 3 battles in, you gonna be less than four, I got goons that move off hand signals, my man split you, you better find that exit door, you gonna see what them goons be bout when them Uzi’s out, you can catch the torch, but I only need one hand, that machine gun jam…it’s nothing to call in Tek [tech] support”
Synopsis: Considering how much work these two emcees have put in this game, this battle should’ve definitely been 3 rounds instead of one. Still, a dope match nonetheless with SnoMan spazzing on JC with so much rapid-fire bars, personals and wordplay (“JC stand for Joe Camel the way this square got boxed”) that you could forgive him for stealing that “newlyweds” bar from B. Magic. And yet, JC’s round is nothing but a barfest as lines like: “I’m killing Sno, but what’s new?, you been calling me out, I’m just not interested nerd, that’s the battle rap political term for ‘fuck you'” gets topped by “I feel like taking a whole person, blow perfect holes in ’em, leave that hoe shirtless, let the 9 bang ’em, have his spirit gone, but the mind stationed and have y’all soul searching”. JC at his best? All told it’s an artful dismantling.
Verdict: JC (W) 1-0
Favorite line: JC – “So which is Sno? kickin’ the door, gripping the four, squeeze a clip? or wait till you gone, break in ya home and leave with some shit?”
Recap: Proud to be (“See? You the type to beef then be quick to settle, Me? I’m a true white boy, I pump hard rock and I [points fist at JC’s head] bang heavy metal!”) Caucasian emcee Lix proves to be better at the punchlines than the personals, but it’s still not enough to beat JC’s stifling (“I got a whole list of bodies and you just the next one, so watch your step son or get smacked like a stepson”) wordplay, fat jokes and ferocious schemes.
Verdict: JC (W) 2-1
Favorite line: JC – “Nigga, you? Out of all people, you don’t deserve half of my pencil, I watched 30 seconds of your battle and bitch, THAT was the intro!”
Recap: Dishing some witty personals throughout the match while also scoring with some fiery punchlines…including a debatable round, Lynx Montana was able to keep this battle against JC close. But the ability to spout a gang of piercing punchlines/wordplay to go along with some rapid fire schemes, stinging personals and rigid gun bars allows a slightly more versatile and bar efficient JC to edge the latter two rounds of this Scheme Street bout for the win.
Verdict: JC (W) 2-1
Favorite line: JC – “And y’all say my image is a hoax, nigga your image is a ghost, that’s the easiest thing to walk through!”
Synopsis: I’ll give Rosenberg credit for an incredible round one: performance-heavy (nice work playing to the crowd with the Shotgun Suge disses), spitting real bars, personals, etc., all said while keeping in consistent “beast-mode” throughout, in front of a hostile crowd no less which easily gave him the round. But then starting with round 2 the real JC showed up (the Ray Charles line alone put him over the top) with polished bars that had you fiending for more, turning what could’ve been a slug-fest into a rout.
Verdict: JC (W) 2-1
Best line: JC – “Them starving hoes turn Mario, soon as you hit that brick you see the change in them”
Recap: Spicy and witty 2-round freestyle battle between JC and Zell B ends up as a draw due to the bout apparently ending after JC spit his 2nd round without Zell being able to get his turn in.
Verdict: TIE
Favorite line: JC – “He came out here pitch black…nigga lighten up!”
Synopsis: Too easy to say that Timebomb was that bad here (there’s been plenty, including top tier dudes, who put on worse shows) as JC was just that good. With an exquisite (albeit cocky) flow, bars on top of bars and consistent aggression, this battle proved early on that JC is a star in the making.
Verdict: JC (W) 3-0
Best line: JC – “We done with beef you not moving, them arms strapped like straight-jackets, Ray Allen, how we come off that block shooting”
Recap: A fairly competitive battle gets thrown off kilter via a wack move by Calicoe who cuts Luciano Crakk’s 3rd round short because he may or may’ve not been on his way to pulling an Earl. Forget the fact that entertng the 3rd round the kid was hanging in there with JC or that he might’ve been able to freestyle or do something to survive from choking, Calicoe, who was clearly rooting for his hometown brethren JC to win the battle, didn’t give Luciano a long enough chance to quit on the round or pull himself together. Not JC’s fault tho, and he still would’ve got the victory anyway.
Verdict: JC (W) 2-1
Favorite line: JC – “We could visit the same doctor don’t make you sick as me nigga, with that DiGiorno ass swag that ain’t delivery nigga”
Recap: Like they say, there’s different levels to this shit. And with a moniker like Poopie Doo, one couldn’t have expected much more than what they got: loud and aggressive B-level mayhem, an entire round dedicated to a so-so NBA scheme, average personals and resident ‘JC’ name flips that somehow included Mr. Doo rapping to Nas’ “Ether” diss song halfway during his turn. But at least JC managed to stay professional throughout all this weirdness (which included a very serious throughout Doo taking his shirt off and stalking the stage while JC rapped his 3rd round), administering a nice dish of potent wordplay/gun bars, spicy punchlines and witty name flips/personals to easily walk out with a 30.
Verdict: JC (W) 3-0
Favorite line: JC – “Worried about y’all nigger’s?, please, I ain’t stressed, I’m the King muthafuckah…Delonte West!”
Recap: It’s a lay-up for JC as his two rounds of fiery braggadocio lines, stinging punchlines/personals and all-out mayhem way out-do Young Zell’s rapidly pedestrian bars.
Verdict: JC (W) 2-0
Favorite line: JC – “I hold that Heat better than ‘Bron wearing over mitts!”
Recap: Mackk Myron definitely has some (“Myron, any nigga that think he could beat him, get the steel in his face like a botox needle”) bars and thus might’ve made JC perspire a little bit, but overall JC proved to be too lyrical and cold with the schemes to be touched here.
Verdict: JC (W) 2-1
Favorite line: JC – “You set yourself up, worse than that Tiger Woods voicemail”
